Friday, July 30, 2010

Back in late 2008/early 2009 (and beyond), Beyonce's song, "Put A Ring On It" was all the rave. Married women would flash their rings, single women would flash their naked hands, gay men would sing it just for the hell of it, and straight men would hear the song, and mutter "f**k this sh*t" under their breath (until they saw the video of course). I was a card carrying member of that last group.

My lady and I would be in lounges, bars or clubs, and that song would come on, and people all around us would lose their mind. And I'd watch my lady enjoying the song and the dances that went with it (including that annoying hand flash dance), and I would secretly resent her and the damn song. It wasn't because of anything she had or had not done, it was simply because I had not proposed to her yet. I had my own personal timetable for proposing, and although I knew she would never put any pressure on me, I felt pressure of the self-imposed variety. We had been together almost 2 years, and I was working towards a ring, and then here comes filthy-rich, Beyonce, and her self-righteous song, telling me and other men, that their love is not complete until a ring is on it. Really Beyonce? F**k you and your husband.

Of course, after I proposed and the insecurities I had about not making my lady an honest woman had subsided, I heard that damn Beyonce song, and things had changed. Instead of resenting and hating it, I felt defiant and proud of myself. Not only had I proposed to the woman I loved, made that first step towards building a life with her, and gotten myself one step closer to having guilt free, legal-in-the-eyes-of-God sex, but I had given the middle finger to Beyonce, the song, and everyone (made up fictional people) who was "hating" on me for taking so long. I even wanted my lady to do the dumb hand dance, so she could flash the ring for all to see. Confession over.

And now I'd like to post a video by my main man Redman. My co-workers have no idea that my headphones will be blasting this song, and the other ones in his catalog, all..day...long.